Greater New Orleans

Louisiana Democrats look to rebuild grassroots base

After a string of losses and the inability to field a slate of statewide candidates this fall, Louisiana's Democratic Party is retrenching. Party leaders say they are focused on rebuilding local support, re-establishing parish leadership committees and attracting candidates with an eye to the 2012 congressional elections. They're planning a 64-parish "Back to Basics" tour at the start of the new year, to reach out to local leaders.

Claude 'Buddy' Leach

"We recognize that the grassroots of the Democratic Party in Louisiana have been allowed to kind of wither, and we're going to give a real working to grassroots on the parish level," Louisiana Democratic Party Chairman Claude "Buddy" Leach said Thursday.

Republicans say it's a lost cause, that Democrats have lost their clout and will remain the minority party in Louisiana. Democrats say their ability to hang on to legislative seats in this fall's elections show they can win races when organized.

However, the Democratic Party has slipped substantially in power in a state that had remained firmly blue for decades.

Democrats couldn't woo a well-funded challenger to Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal this fall -- or even a full slate of candidates for all seven statewide positions on the ballot. The GOP will continue to hold all those elected jobs when the new term begins in January.

Republicans took the majorities in both the state House and Senate over the last year for the first time since Reconstruction, and Democrats didn't regain seats in the October and November elections, though they lost fewer than pundits had predicted.

"The era of Democrats having anything more than paltry influence on policy is over, for the foreseeable future," Jeffrey Sadow, an associate professor of political science at LSU-Shreveport, wrote in his conservative political blog.

Leach said he's focusing heavily on re-engaging former local officials, lawmakers and Democratic leaders in party activities and candidate recruitment. The party's hired a communications and research director and started a new blog, while trying to revive fundraising efforts and working with national party leaders to help find and groom candidates for the upcoming congressional election cycle.

"It's my belief that when men and women see Democrats in our various communities speaking up on issues and having active meetings and town forums that these candidates will emerge. There are men and women out there who have a desire to serve," Leach said.

The Louisiana Democratic Party has successfully restarted parish executive committees in East Feliciana, West Feliciana, East Carroll and Claiborne parishes, giving them local party infrastructure in 60 of the state's 64 parishes.

Democrats hold one of Louisiana's congressional seats. Leach said they'll concentrate their resources on trying to regain at least two additional districts, the northwest Louisiana based seat held by Republican U.S. Rep. John Fleming and the Baton Rouge-area seat held by U.S. Rep. Bill Cassidy.

They'll have to overcome the overwhelming unpopularity of President Barack Obama in a state trending more Republican, where Obama's approval ratings remain low in poll after poll.

Renee Lapeyrolerie, the executive director of the state Democratic Party, said the fall legislative elections showed Democrats that they can win elections even when outspent if they focus on local issues. She said voters can distinguish between national party ideology and local politics.

Democrats have celebrated the legislative election results because they'll retain the same number of House seats, despite widespread expectations that they would lose several posts. They also held on though Republican leaders such as U.S. Sen. David Vitter, Jindal and the state GOP spent millions to gain seats.

But the GOP will hold onto its majority in the Legislature and boosted numbers in the state Senate.

The next benchmark of just how much party interest has been generated among local Democrats will become clear next week. A signup period is planned Wednesday to Friday for the next four-year terms for party governing body seats, both locally and statewide.